A smart watch, not a smartwatch

As a watch enthusiast, I’ve always had a complicated relationship with smartwatches. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, nothing was cooler than the idea of a computer on my wrist, but I miss the variety watches offer. Unfortunately, smartwatches devolved into generic glass discs on our wrists, lacking the charm of their analog ancestors.

Casio looks to change that with its G-Shock Move DWH5600. It’s a very Casio model number for a uniquely Casio hybrid that provides high-end features with an analog look and feel. If you dislike wearing smartwatches but can’t live without the health data they provide, the DWH5600 should be your next watch.

Price and availability

The Casio DWH5600 is available through Casio and Amazon for $300. Like many watches in its G-Shock lineup, Casio offers the 5600 in various colors, affording you a little personality on your wrist.

What’s good about the G-Shock Move DWH5600?

Classic design with health-tracking features

I love that Casio kept the classic G-Shock design for the DWH5600. It has a silhouette any fan of the series will instantly recognize. Unlike the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition I reviewed, Casio didn’t wash away the design elements of the G-Shock, which we love just to shoehorn in some smartwatch features. If you handed me the DWH5600 and told me it was another quartz 5600 with a negative display, I wouldn’t question you, which is not something I can say about many smartwatches.

It’s also important that Casio kept the durability we’ve come to expect from the G-Shock name, with 200 meters of water resistance. In addition, the mineral crystal protecting the display is recessed, reducing the chance of accidental scratches. While you can technically replace the strap on the 5600, it’s not easy without adapters and a bit of expertise.

That’s not because Casio doesn’t want you to accessorize; the strap is part of the G-Shock’s shock absorption. If you drop the watch, the band acts as a spring, protecting the sensors and stainless steel back. It’s a full resin design, but it’s solid — there is never a moment you’ll doubt whether you have a real G-Shock on your wrist.

I’m spending more time on a smartwatch design than I usually would. Still, it’s an important point to drive home — the DWH5600 wears like a regular G-Shock, making it ideal for those who hate being limited by a choice between wearing a watch with heritage or maintaining their healthy lifestyle.

Casio nailed the backlighting on the DWH5600. It’s a clean white backlight that does a fantastic job of evenly illuminating the display. I’m not usually a fan of negative displays, but the viewing angles on the 5600 are incredible. I can tilt the watch nearly 170 degrees from the center and still easily read the time — ideal for cyclists or runners who need information at a glance. Even without the backlight, the Memory in Pixel LCD display reflects even the slightest background lighting, allowing for superior readability in most conditions.

I refer to the DWH5600 as a smartwatch, but it’s more accurately a hybrid. It adds traditional smartwatch functionality to a classic digital watch design. And while you won’t find Wear OS or downloadable apps on your G-Shock Move, Casio includes the most important smartwatch functions.

The DWH5600 can monitor your heart rate and take a blood oxygen reading. It does a good job of recognizing when you’ve started a workout and logging your activities. It can also track your sleep. An almanac widget gives you information on sunrise and sunset, with smartphone notifications also available to read short text messages or alerts. Scrolling through messages takes a few more button presses than a traditional smartwatch, but the trade-off is worth it.

Like other Casio digital watches, you can set a second time zone or use the stopwatch and timer functions. All told, it’s a fantastic experience. The DWH5600 is a smartwatch when I need it, but a digital wristwatch when I don’t. Battery life is also incredible. Without a color OLED display or complex apps, the watch sips power. In addition, it features partial solar recharging, so the more time you spend outdoors, the less you’ll have to worry about charging your Casio. I barely used up 25% of the battery in over ten days of testing.

What’s bad about the G-Shock Move DWH5600?

App desperately needs work

While I enjoy the DWH5600, Casio needs to go back to the drawing board with its watch app. I own several G-Shocks with tracking abilities, and I’ve used no fewer than three apps to control them — it’s a giant mess. To make matters worse, if I go to wear another G-Shock and attempt to log into one of the other apps, it threatens to disconnect me.

The company should have one app to handle all its watches, whether simple step trackers or full smartwatches like the DWH5600. Moreover, the app is slow and lacks features. Even though I can control most settings on the phone from the app, I’d like a way to plot out my data points for heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, and workouts without needing a third-party program.

On the bright side, the DWH5600 is easily linked with Strava, offering added functionality for a price. Unfortunately, Google Fit is not yet supported, but if you’re an iOS user, sending data to Apple Health is possible.

One part of the design I don’t love is the buttons. I understand they are recessed on a regular G-Shock to eliminate inadvertent pushes and to prevent dirt and debris from entering the case, but on the DWH5600, they make things difficult. Scrolling through widgets requires multiple button pushes, which can be difficult with the watch on your wrist. On a regular G-Shock, you’re usually not pushing buttons all day, but if you want to use the DWH5600 to its full capacity, you’ll have to get used to a challenging button design.

Should you buy it?

The G-Shock Move DWH5600 checks a lot of boxes if you’re looking for a smartwatch that provides health tracking while maintaining the feel of a classic Casio. And while the design doesn’t lend itself to use as a smartwatch, I like that Casio kept true to the G-Shock name and heritage.

It’s clearly not for everyone, nor is it meant to be, but the DWH5600 does an excellent job balancing the old with the new and giving us something more interesting on our wrists than another generic glass disc.